Question:
bowel obstruction

What r the symptoms of bowel obstruction?    — Candiss T. (posted on September 26, 2002)

September 26, 2002
I had a kinked bowel 5 days after lap RNY. I could not take in any fluids or food as I barfed up even water. The pain in my pouch was intense and when I started barfing up bile and became disoriented (due to dehydration), I was rushed to the emergency room for an open surgery. Turned out I had a hernia all along and the small bowel was sucked into the hernia and twisted. That was 8 months ago!
   — Cindy R.

September 26, 2002
Candiss, I had a tubal pregnancy a couple of years ago that ruptured and required. I was suppose to leave after 3 days in the hospital but ended up staying 2 weeks because of a bowel obstruction. It is VERY uncomfortable. I felt bloted, like I could float away. It was not painful in the painful sense just very uncomfortable. Once they stuck the NG tube down my nose to my stomach to drain it I felt fine. It would take about 1/2 hour to drain. It was so disgusting to look at. While I had the tube in me I could not eat or drink (for 2 weekds). I would chew on ice chips but they had me hooked up to IV's so I was not hungry, just a bit thirsty. Everytime they would take the NG out I would be bloated again in like an hour. I couldn't keep anything down, water, popsicles, nothing. Finally after 2 weeks it passed and everything was fine. A lot of people say the NG tube is bad - for me it wasn't. Just ask for pain meds before they put it in. When they take it out it is fast almost like pulling your eyebrows. Hope this helps. Dana
   — Dana R.

September 26, 2002
I had a small bowel obstruction in December and believe me, it was the worst pain of my life!! It started around 3 that afternoon. I ate some pork and it just kinda sat like a rock in my stomach. I was scheduled to put my cat of 19 years down that night, so I kinda just contributed it to nerves. Well, I put the cat down and my BF decided to take me out to dinner and a few drinks to relax me. That was around 9:30. We ate, and again, it sat like a rock. We got home around 11, and my BF went right to bed. I layed there and about 15 minutes later, I started feeling this horrible pain that circulated my belly button and then traveled to my back. I went downstairs to avoid waking my BF and tried laying on the couch. I put a bag of cold veggies on my belly to try to stop the pain. I only slept for about 10 minute intervals the whole night. Finally at 6 in the morning, I couldn't take it anymore and called my mom to take me to the ER. They gave me a dose regulan and that didn't help. Finally they gave me 3 shots of demerol in a 20 minute period, and that helped enough to let me sleep for an hour. They sent me home with Phenobarbital and told me to call my surgeon. I chewed them like candy to make it through another night. The next morning, my mom said THIS IS ENOUGH, and drove me to Boston where I had my surgery done. They immediately gave me Morphine (finally a life saver) and inserted an NG tube to try to pull the obstruction out through my nose!! I was adm I ended up on a PCA pump and a shot of taradol every 4 hours to try to control the pain!! Finally 4 days later, they needed to do emergency surgery because the blockage hadn't moved. It was caused by scar tissue from my original Open RNY. I will say that the blockage was the most pain I have ever felt in my life. I would rather give birth again!! At least then, I would get a break between contractions!! I know this post was long and for that I apologize, but I wanted to let you know all that I had gone through. Feel free to email me with any questions that you might have and take a peek at my profile. I have outlined it there as well. Good luck,
   — enjo4